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BRUSSELS: Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has apologized to European Industry Director Thierry Breton for a leaked internal document that proposes ways to counter strict new EU rules for tech companies.
Pichai and Breton exchanged views in a video conference late on Thursday (November 12), the third this year, according to a statement from the European Commission.
“The internet cannot remain a ‘wild west’: we need clear and transparent rules, a predictable environment and balanced rights and obligations,” Breton told Pichai.
The call came after an internal Google document outlined a 60-day strategy to counter the European Union’s push for the new rules by getting America’s allies to reject Breton.
Google initiated the call before the document was leaked.
Breton pulled out the leaked document and showed it to Pichai during the call, saying there was no need to use tactics from the last century and play one unit on the Commission against another, a person familiar with the call said.
Pichai apologized for the way the document came out, a document he had neither seen nor signed, and said he would directly relate to Breton if he sees language and policy that specifically target Google, said another person familiar with the call.
Google said the two had a frank but open conversation.
“Our online tools have been a lifesaver for many individuals and businesses through the lockdown, and Google is committed to continuing to innovate and build services that can contribute to Europe’s economic recovery after COVID,” said spokesperson Al Verney in a release.
The incident underscores intense lobbying by tech companies against proposed EU rules, which could hamper their businesses and force changes in their operation.
Breton will announce a new draft of rules known as the Law on Digital Services and Law on Digital Markets together with the European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, on December 2.
The rules will establish a list of dos and don’ts for gatekeepers (online companies with market power) that will force them to share data with rivals and regulators and not to promote their services and products unfairly.
“The internet cannot remain a ‘wild west’: we need clear and transparent rules, a predictable environment and balanced rights and obligations,” Breton told Pichai.
“Everything that is allowed offline must be authorized online; and everything that is prohibited offline must be prohibited online,” he said.
Breton told Pichai that he would increase the power of the EU to curb unfair behavior of monitoring platforms, so that the Internet benefits not only a handful of companies, but also small and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs in Europe.
“Europe’s position is clear: everyone is welcome on our continent as long as they respect our rules,” he told Pichai.
